Process of making shoes



Feb. 13, 1934. A; J. BRAUER El AL 1,947,246

PROCESS OF MAKING SHOES 1 Filed May 20, 1932 Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF MAKING SHOES Application May 20, 1932. Serial No. 612,426

Claims.

This invention relates generally to the manufacture of shoes and particularly to a method of regulating the size of the throat opening of shoes, especially pumps.

5 In the manufacture of shoes and especially pumps it is of great importance that the size of the throat opening through which the foot of the wearer is inserted be accurately controlled and rendered extremely uniform in the various sizes and styles. Especially is this true of pumps wherein no lace, strap, or other device is provided for holding the shoes in position on the foot. It is of great importance therefore that the size of the throat openings of pumps be accurately controlled since it is not possible as is the case with other types of shoes to make the throat opening slightly larger than will be ordinarily necessary in view of the fact that no auxiliary devices are provided for maintaining the shoe'in position on the foot. Consequently the size of the throat opening must be accurately determined and so controlled that although a snug fit will be obtainable in order to keep the shoe on the foot the shoe must, nevertheless, be comfortable.

The size of the throat opening of a shoe is in the first place determined by the pattern from which the upper materials are out. After the upper is closed, however, the size of the throat opening may be carried within substantial limits according to the position which the lasted upper is caused to assume with reference to the last. In other words although the size of a throat opening may be roughly determined before the upper is lasted, it is, nevertheless, possible to vary the size of the throat opening during lasting to an extent which, especially in the case of pumps, will determine both the accuracy of fitting and also the comfort of the shoe. The skill and accuracy of the assembling operator must then be depended upon in the production of shoes wherein the throat opening will be of accurate and uniform size, and consequently due to the presence of the human element it has heretofore been diflicult to make shoes, especially pumps, which can be depended upon to be accurately fitting and also comfortable. It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a process for making shoes, especially pumps, whereby the size of the throat opening may be precisely controlled within those limits which determine not only the accuracy of fitting but also comfort.

In the manufacture of shoes and especially pumps of the inseam type wherein the lining is first stitched on the exterior of the outside upper 55 and subsequently invaginatedto bring the lining on the interior of the upper and present the joining same on the inside of the upper below the throat margin a particular diificulty has heretofore been encountered since, although the assembler may be a highly skilled operator and one capable under ordinary circumstances of accurately controlling the throat opening of a shoe, the tendency exists for the upper to slide on the last during the lasting operations so that it becomes displaced from the position in which it was originally disposed with reference to the last. This objection is also encountered in the manufacture of the ordinary type of shoe wherein the lining is permitted to extend for a slight distance beyond the throat edge until the manufacturing 7Q operations are substantially complete. The presence of this extended lining to some extent eliminates the tendency of the upper to slide or creep on the last during lasting but although this objection is not so noticeable as with shoes of the inseam type it is, nevertheless, existent.

The object of this invention generally stated is to provide a process for making shoes wherein the accuracy and uniformity of the throat opening may be controlled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a process of making shoes wherein the size of the throat opening may be accurately controlled without necessitating the use of highly skilled operators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a last constructed and arranged to facilitate in the achievement of uniform throat openings of shoes lasted thereon.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a last with suitable indications whereby an operator may accurately position a closed upper-with reference thereto particularly for the purpose of regulating the vamp height and opening size. 95

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closed upper 109 of the inseam type;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a last provided with the indicating means of the present invention;

' Figure 3 is a perspective view of the last of Fig- 105 ure'2 having alined thereon an inseam upper such as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a partial view of a last having mounted thereon a part in which the lining extends upwardly beyond the throat margin.

In accordance with the present invention, generally stated, the ordinary last used in the manufacture of shoes may be provided with a series of indications so positioned thereon that an upper when assembled with the last may be accurately alined with reference to the indications and in such manner the accuracy and uniformity of the resultant shoe controlled. For instance, an indicant may be placed in a suitable position on the cone of the last whereby the forward portion of the throat may be gauged and positioned with reference thereto. Another indicant may be positioned at the counterpart of the last so that the back of the upper may be gauged with reference thereto. When an upper is assembled upon a last and the forward portion of the throatpositioned with reference to such an indicant and maintained in such position during the lasting operations, it is apparent that the shoe resulting will have a throat opening of a definite and accurate size. Uniformity of throat opening size may thus be readily controlled since every upper assembled upon the last provided with such indicants will be formed with a throat opening of the same size. It is of particular importance to gauge or position the forward portion of the throat opening with reference to the last since the inclination of the cone of the last is such that if the upper is permitted to creep above or below a predetermined position thereon the effect will be quite noticeable since when the upper creeps upwardly on the cone of the last the throat opening becomes shorter while if the upper is pulled downwardly on the last the opening is lengthened. In the manufacture of inseam shoes, especially pumps, it is difficult to avoid variation in the size of the throat opening since if the lining is pulled over by lasting machine with greater force than is exerted upon the outside upper the tendency is for the upper materials to roll at the margin of the throat and thus vary the size of the throat opening. In accordance with the present invention, however, when some positive means is provided on the last with reference to which an upper may be gauged or positioned during the lasting operations these difficulties are avoided and when the upper is maintained in such alined position with reference to indicants on the last, it is apparent that the resultant shoe will be provided with a throat opening of the desired size, and the length of the vamp will be proper.

Referring now particularly to the drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the present invention a closed upper 1 illustrated as of the inseam type, comprises an outside piece 2, a lining 3 and a doubler 4. In shoes of this type it is understood that the lining 3 is secured to the outside upper piece 2 by a line of stitching or inseam 5. lhe upper illustrated in Figure l is arranged for the formation of pumps in which it is of particular importance as hereinbefore pointed out that the size of the throat opening 6 be accurately controlled. It is of particular importance that the length of the throat opening, that is, the distance sitioning the upper and lining thereon. Accordingly an indicant 9 is provided along the cone 10 of the last 8 in such position with reference to another indicant 11, which may be provided adjacent the heel or counterpart of the last, that when the throat margin of an upper is alined with reference thereto the resultant opening will be of the desired size. t is to be understood, however, that any suitable marking device may be provided for indicating the positions such as 9and 11. A line is suitable for this purpose but one or more tacks or other markers may be driven into the last to indicate this position. It is to be understood, however, that the position of the indicants 9 and 11 upon the last may be varied for various styles and sizes of the shoes, it being understood that the size of the throat opening for the various sizes of a particular style of shoevaries uniformly. The size of the opening may be determined by correctly positioning the indicants 9 and 11 and since the height at the back seam and the vamp length vary progressively as the sizes, inch per half size at the back seam, and inch per half size in the vamp length, this may be readily accomplished. The position of indicant 9 with reference to toe point 12 of last 8 may be determined by experiment for a particular size of shoe. For the next size larger of the shoe the distance between the toe point 12 and indicant 9 on the cone will be found to be, for instance inch longer, while the next size smaller to the distance from the toe point 12 to the indicant 9 will be found to be inch shorter, the sizes progressing accordingly. likewise the position of indicant 11 may be possible ascertained. It, therefore, becomes after the proper throat opening for a shoe of one particular size has become determined by experiment to readily adapt the lasts for other sizes of such shoes without necessitating further experiment but by progressive variation in the length between toe point 12 and indicant 9 in the manner just described.

With the last thus provided with indicants the closed uppers may readily be assembled and alined with reference to indicants 9 and 11. Such assembly is illustrated in Figure 3 where it will be apparent that the forward margin 13 of throat opening 6 is. aligned or positioned adjacent indicant 9 on last 8 and the margin of the throat opening at 14 is aligned with reference to indicant 11 on the counterpart of the last. With the upper thus alined it is apparent that an operator may during all the lasting operation readily maintain the position of the upper with reference to the last and accordingly the resultant shoes will be provided with uniform vamp length, back seam height and opening size.

In the manufacture of shoes of the inseam type it is preferred to position the margin of the throat opening at front and rear in .alinement with the respective indicants 9 and 11 but this is impractical. In the manufacture of shoes in which the lining is permitted to extend beyond the margin of the throat opening, as illustrated in Figure 4, where it is apparent that a lining 15 extends upwardly on the cone 10 of the last 8 beyond margin 13 of the outside upper materials. It is understood, of course, that after the manufacturing operations are completed the surplus lining material 15 is to be severed from the shoe so that the final margin of the throat opening is determined by the margin 13 of the outside upper materials. In the manufacture of shoes of this sort suitable slits such as 16 may be provided in the lining extension 15. The provision of such slits as 16 in positions which will fall adjacent such indicants as 9 and 11 will permit the operator to peep through the slits and thus position the upper with reference to the indicants as readily as if the extension 15 were not present.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that many modifications of the process hereinbefore described will present themselves to those skilled in the art which will not depart from the spirit of this invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to the specific details hereinbefore set forth but that such modifications and the use of such individual features and subcombination of features as do not depart from the spirit of this invention are, although not specifically described herein, contemplated by and Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In the artof making shoes in which the lining extends beyond the throat during lasting, the process comprising, slitting the extended lining, alining the slit with an indicant on a last, and lasting the shoe while the alinement is maintained.

2. In the art of making shoes in which the lining extends beyond the throat during lasting, the process comprising, slitting the extended lining adjacent the edge of the throat, alining the slit with an indicant on a last, and. lasting the shoe while the alinement is maintained.

3. In the art of making shoes in which the lining extends beyond the throat during lasting, the process comprising, slitting the extended lining, positioning the slit with reference to an indicant on the cone of the last, and lasting the shoe while the relative position of the slit and indicant is maintained.

4. In the art of making shoes in which the lining extends beyond the throat during lasting, the process comprising, cutting an opening in the extended lining, alining the opening with an indicant on a last, and lasting the shoe while the alinement is maintained.

5. In the art of making shoes in which the lining extends beyond the throat during the lasting, the process comprising, cutting an opening in the extended lining, alining an edge of the opening with an indicant on the last, and lasting the shoe while the alinement is maintained.

ARTHUR J. BRAUER. FREDERICK P. WAGNER. 

